Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00 This is not my work. It's based largely on the work of Gary Potter, the huge number of quotes and paraphrases from other authors, far too many to mention in a sermon after gaining your independence. In 1821 Mexico was governed by a series of rulers, increasingly hostile to Catholicism. Although through it all, Mexican people remained relatively steadfast in their faith. But during the revolution and starting with the rule of the white house back Carranza, the faithfulness that people began to be tested as never before. On Thursday, April 29th, 1920 the United States Senate subcommittee on foreign relations, her testimony from two witnesses about troubles in the Crohn's, the controlled areas of Mexico. Mother Maria Elias does San to Sumo Sacramento. She said discounts Carmelite mother superior, a nun who had recently flooded the United States and father Francis P Joyce, a captain in the U S army, a chaplain who had landed at Vera Cruz in 1914 and also accompanied the purging expedition of 19 1617 mother, Maria Elias, this is greatly edited for reasons it'll be obvious.
Speaker 0 01:22 The Catholic church is attacked by the revolutionaries. They've closed the churches and prohibited the sacraments to the extent of shooting the priest who dares to hear confession or to administer the sacraments. The confessionals and some images of the saints have been Burt in the public squares to the accompaniment of bands of music and impious speeches. They have profaned the churches entering them on horseback, smashing the images, treading the relics under foot, throwing the hosts about the floor and even giving them to the horses T with the fodder. In some churches, the currents Easters themselves have pretended to say mass and have seeded themselves to hear the confessions of a multitude of people dressed as priests. They've heard the confessions of sick people and then in derision they have revealed what they hear in the confession. All this I've seen with my own eyes, all the communities of nuns who have been expelled from entire Republic being given but a half hour to leave and not allowed to take with them a change of clothes and in many cases not even Breviary to pray.
Speaker 0 02:29 Many sisters have been taken to the barracks. Immoralities increased to such a degree that they have profane not only versions, but it violated nuns carrying them away by force where they now suffer horribly to the great suffering of my soul. I've seen in Mexico the sad and lamentable fate of many sisters who have been the victims of the unbridled passions of the soldiers. Father Joyce's testimony fall that of mother Mary Ally's Senate questioner. Were you chaplain the army with the American troops when they landed at Vera Cruz in 1914 father Joyce? Yes, sir. Question, will you please relate what you learned at that time about the treatment accorded the priests, nuns and sisters in Mexico by the Crohn's army, father Joyce cer at Vera Cruz during the summer of 1914 there between 600 and 700 sisters, refugees, some clothes in the habit of religious orders, others in various disguises besides the sisters.
Speaker 0 03:33 There were many priests who were refugees. Also waiting upon tables at restaurants, working on the docks, all trying to earn enough money to get out of the country. There are also seven bishops and archbishops and Vera Cruz at the time. Many of these women had been outraged in church persecution initiated by Carranza poncho via. During this time I call on mr Suleyman, the personal representative of president Wilson to Carranza. I asked her to obtain a boat to shift these people out of the country. He said on what grounds? I said to him, if not on the grounds of religion, at least on the grounds of humanity. These are women. The priests are men. We'll have to make shift for themselves. Silly men then stood up and said, is generally admitted by everybody that the worst thing in Mexico, next to loose women is the Catholic church and both must go to prevent a fight.
Speaker 0 04:33 I was hustled out of the council's office and reprimanded in a military way for some words I had with mr Silman. Keep in mind, that's the American representative. The poor, regular American soldiers took up collections to ship out as many sisters as possible, but when the Americans vaquita Vera Cruz, more than 400 of the sisters were left behind. Afterwards, I was told the Crohn's and vias army tried to have one woman to every four soldiers that many of these sisters were impressed his camp followers for Crohn's, his army question, what were the consequences by these refugees as the desecration of churches and the use of sacred thing in churches by the Crohn's, his soldiers for the Joyce, the Crohn's had his banquet board, supplied each guest with a Charles for wine cup. That vestments were used as saddle blankets, that the churches were used for dance halls and barracks.
Speaker 0 05:34 That statutes were taken down from their high places and nude women put there. The Tabernacles were shot open and the sacred house trampled upon and at the furnishings of gold and silver and jewelry was stolen. The men were shot for no other reason, and they were Catholics. That mysterious hatred that crucified Christ that persecuted the martyrs in the arena, that same hatred followed and still follows the Catholic church in Mexico. Close quotes. Churches used his dance halls. Chalices uses wine cups. Vestments used as saddle blankets. Tabernacle is shot. Open the hose, trampoline their foot, or put in the oats for the horses. Nuns forced to become camp followers. That mysterious hatred that crucified Christ, the persecutor, the martyrs, and the arena that steam hatred follows and still follows the traffic church in Mexico. The Mexican revolutionaries had adopted the principles of the French revolution Crohn's up the end in 1917 when he promulgated a new constitution, which following French revolutionary principles was designed to effectively eliminate the church.
Speaker 0 06:58 Henceforth, all elementary education, public or private had to be secular, monastic vows. Monastic orders were outlawed. Any religious event whatsoever, like a procession outside of church, outlawed all churches and church owned property, convenance hospitals. Orphanages were declared to be property of the state, but the worst feature of the 1917 constitution was article one 30 which stated, among other things that the federal government had the authority to intervene in matters of religious worship. It for bait any religious publications from any comments on any public affairs whatsoever. It stated that the clergy were subject to civil regulation, that state legislatures had the power to determine the exact number of clergy allowed to function their States, and sadly all this was promulgated by a leader who had the support of the United States government as if there were not bad enough. In 1924 matters. Took a turn for the worst <inaudible> became president. <inaudible>
Speaker 0 08:13 was a 33rd degree Mason who was absolutely determined to completely drive the Catholic church out of Mexico. Soon after taking power Caiaphas, having recruited some Renegade priest, founded as his Matic church and proclaimed one of the renegades quote, the patriarch of the Mexican Catholic church. Close quote, the idea did not catch on with faithful Catholics. 1926 Kai's made it clear that the federal government would enforce the 1917 constitution to the rule and then published a decree called the <inaudible>. My other thing is a Kaia SAC mandated uniform enforcement throughout all Mexico of all the constitutions, anti-Catholic, added things like all convents in Catholic schools were to be closed. Wearing clerical. Garvin public was a crime with a 500 peso fine at that time, about $250 but also specified penalties for officials and private citizens who failed to enforce the law. Some of the state governments immediately took advantage of the situation to limit the number of priests.
Speaker 0 09:18 Chihuahua enacted a law that permitted exactly one priest take care of all the Catholics in their state. Tabasco six priests were to be allowed as long as they got married first from the point of view of the Bishop. The most troubling aspect of this situation was that only after, after only one year after this attempted schismatic church promoted by the government, the Kaia Zack stated that no priest could function. He couldn't say mass or do any other priests the act without having previously registered with a federal regional municipal authority. This act was due to take effect on July 31st well, the bishops were struggling to come up with a response to these outrageous demands. The Epistolic non-suit of Mexico protested and was expelled from the country on May 12th later that month, on May 28th the Supreme commander of the Scottish Rite in Mexico presented Kayas with the Masonic medal of merit on July 12th and Masonic press release.
Speaker 0 10:19 It's quote, international Mayscreen accepts responsibility for everything that is happening in Mexico and is prepared to mobilize all its forces for the methodical integral application of the Greta gut bond program for this country. Close quote, some months later, the new wage, that's actually the magazine of the Scottish right here in the U S the new age state of quote, the Catholic church has perverted the Mexican for 400 years because marriage is to have delivered them from ignorance and superstition. That is why he can cut our, our understanding and our North America support. Close quote, rom told the bishops, under no condition will we accept the registering of priests. So what were the Bishop's supposed to do? Simply defy the government in order priests not to register with Vatican approval. The bishops did something unprecedented in the entire history of the church. They announced that starting on July 31st all public worship throughout Mexico was suspended.
Speaker 0 11:23 Priests were to be withdrawn from every church in the nation. There'll be no masses offered nor sacraments administered throughout the country except in private chapels. The reaction was immediate. During the last few days of July, people throng the churches day and night, going to confession, getting baptized, getting married in the cathedral of Mexico city. The Archbishop baptized and confirmed over 3000 Catholics in one day time magazine and a thoroughly contemptible article which only only read part of reported on Kayas public response. Caiaphas quote, no influence. National international, including the grunts of the pulp will cause the Mexican government to vary it's attitude. The government is determined to enforce the laws for the regulation of religious societies of all kinds, even should it be necessary to recur to extreme measures. Catholics will be severely punished if they violate the law. Close quote <inaudible> on Sunday, August 1st, 1926 for the first time in over 400 years, no priest has sent an altar of any Mexican church for morning mass and the cities in big towns, a faithful Catholic might find mass somewhere using a private home, but not in a small towns.
Speaker 0 12:47 Villages in the countryside. For the most part, the war began and will be fought in the countryside on August 3rd in order to protect their now close church from being sacked and sacrificially treated by the government forces. Some 400 armed Catholics shut themselves up and the church of our lady of Guadalupe and wattle, Hora Melisko, they're involved in a shootout with federal troops and surrendered only when they ran out of ammunition. The following day there was another outbreak Michoacan than in ISACA. Take us then in Guanajuato and then in Durango there are peasant risings almost everywhere, but in the North and except in a few places, the tropical sell, the actual war called the Christiana rage. Most of the States in the center and West of the country. Zack, take us Durango, Quanta, Watteau, Mitchell Khan, Colima, and above all holistical the Cairo government did not take the threat very serious that first, the commander of the Federalist and your lists goes wire to army headquarters saying that this quote will be less a campaign than a hut.
Speaker 0 13:59 Close quote, he was in for a surprise. The Catholics prayed and sang far under the night singing hymns and saying the rosary were an essential part of their daily life. On the March and in their camps before battle, their commanders urged them to make an act, a perfect contrition. They swore before God to conquer, to die, and they charged the enemy singing songs and crying out. If you look, Krista Ray, Viva the Virgin Guadalupe long, the Christ, the King long of the Virgin of Guadalupe because of this battle cry, the government marketing named the Catholic warriors, the Chris sterile is just shorten up. Crystal Ray is where they got the name is one. Chris Gero stated, Kaia simply had to be fought because I think it is better to die fighting for Christ the King and the Virgin of Guadalupe and all of their family and not take a single step against the one true God.
Speaker 0 15:00 Close quote, before he was killed, another Cristo wrote quote, we're going to perish. We will not see the victory, but Mexico needs all this blood for its purification. Christ will receive the homage, which is his to close quote. The woman or the Chris Geragos were nothing less than amazing. They formed the Saint Joan of arc brigades who organized along military lines. Each brigade of 650 women was commanded by a Colonel who was assisted by Lieutenant Colonel and five majors each having under her captains, lieutenants and sergeants was five soldiers under each Sergeant. The main service they perform is providing ammunition to the fighters for much of the war except for what the captured from the enemy. The fighters relied exclusively on the support of the women's brigades. The women were able to operate in complete secrecy, such complete secrecy that none were arrested until March, 1929 after they existed nearly two years, not a single defection from the grays ranks of 25,000 women is known to have taken place. 25,000 women at the height. The height of his par via had 20,000 men at the height of his powers. The Pata had 10,000 men. The Saint John of art brigade had 25,000 women and most people have never heard of them.
Speaker 0 16:29 The wives and mothers, the Catholic wise who encouraged their husbands to fight, and the Catholic mothers who gave up their sons. As one mother said, I offered the life of my four boys to Christ, but the Lord came up short. He only took two. Compare the pride of the Christero troops, leadership and women to the attitude of the federal troops and leadership. There were federal officers who had their troops fall into the cry of long live Satan long live the devil. The treatment of those who fell into the hands of the federal, he's, there's no less horrific quote. No prisoners were taken, civilians taken as hostages were murdered. Torture was systematic and it was used not only to obtain information, but also to prolong suffering and to attempt to get Catholics true. Renounce their faith, to be forced to walk on the flayed souls, the feet to be flayed burned have their bones broken, to be quartered alive, hung up by their thumbs.
Speaker 0 17:33 Garret electrocuted, scorched by blow torches, wracked subjected to the torture, the boot and the water torture stretched out, dragged behind a horse such was the fate of those who fell into the hands of the federal Raleighs. And of course there was sacral use of the federalized. Churches were desecrated by officers who wrote into them on horseback, trampled the host under the hooves of their chargers, use the alters his dining tables and turn the building into a stable statues of saints were used for target practice. And those are the virtual undressed and the soldiers dance with them. The soldiers dressed up in ecclesiastical vestments, eight to consecrate a hose and drank cafe LA from Chelsea's close quote. Keep in mind that most, if not all these men were themselves baptized Catholics.
Speaker 0 18:26 Gary Potter says the church leadership, there were 38 Mexican bishops at the time of the oughta. No more than seven ever supported it. 12 bishops were adamantly opposed to the rebellion. The 19 others did is as most bishops always seem to do in every historical situation. They took no from position, all the order deported by president Kayas and April, 1927 35 complied with the order three remained in the country. Two of them in hiding their own diocese. The third movie round among private homes and the Capitol, those in Xcel sent a message of congratulation to president. Port is Gil. When he survived the explosion of a bomb in Guanajuato on February 10th, 1929 the Bishop's position was one that left them technically above the resort terms or at the same time, they did not simply condemn the rebellion. They could even be said, depending on how the fighting went to wish it well and how did the fighting go?
Speaker 0 19:27 By 1929 the Cristeros had been so successful that the government renounced his policy of governing the countryside. Three quarters of inhabitable Mexico was in the hands of the troops of Christ. The King and victory was in reach. There were 50,000 Christian arrows in the field at that time. Again, at his peaks, the Pata had no more than 10,000 men. Poncho via no more than 20,000 both are known worldwide, but not to Cristeros. The total of those who fought for the Christos is actually much greater than 50,000 because a hundred thousand combatants were killed in the water of which 40,000 were Cristeros U S ambassador. At the time, the Christiana was an upperclass loss. It was a father in love. Charles Winberg, Dwight w immoral Morrow could hardly be accused of being an impartial observer. The French historian John Meyer explains, quote, the personal friendship that existed between the remarkable bastard moral and present.
Speaker 0 20:29 Caiaphas was accompanied by close political collaboration. Morrow in his diplomatic capacity, played in a central role in the settlement of a religious conflict. Paranthetically. We'll see what that settlement was in a minute. More on his diplomatic capacity played an essential role in sediment of the religious conflict and as a financier he assisted his Mexican Collie thanks to his good offices. The Mexican government was able to purchase directly from United States arsenals 10,000 and field rifles, 10 million rounds of ammunition and aircraft which took part in the battle of human is with American pilots. Close quo. It sounds like current events, doesn't it? This is an American ambassador Silliman that we heard. Father Joyce's report was also an American ambassador paranthetically. It helps faithful Catholics understand that old Mexican proverb that says poor Mexico so far from God and so near to the United States as if that weren't clear enough in a May, 1929 Millicent, the us state department ambassador moral stated quote, it is a general opinion among the better class of Mexicans that unless the Mexican government is able to exterminate the marauding bands of Christian arrows, which infest the surrounding country or come to some agreement with the church whereby religious services may be resumed.
Speaker 0 22:00 The possibility of return to normal conditions is very remote. Close quote, exterminate the marauding bands of Chris Darryl's. I guess he meant it after all, as we just heard thanks to his good offices, the Mexican guy as government was able to purchase directly from our arsenals, 10,000 and field rifles, 10 million rounds of ammunition and even get aircraft with American pilots, Mexico city on July 21st, 1929 the secret negotiations orchestrated by Mr. Morrow between the Mexican government and the Vatican resulted in an accord on June 21st the Mexican episcopate except for one of its members is excellency Joseda. Hazers Manriquez signed a resolution of the conflict, the accord provided for number one immediate unconditional ceasefire and number two, the resumption of public worship. Beginning of the next day, June 22nd on their side, the bishops agreed to the resumption of public worship on its side. Now listen to this, the government agreed the only verbally to the constitution of 1917 the Supreme law of the land would stand, but its anti-Catholic provisions would no longer be enforced. That is what the covenant promised verbally. That was it.
Speaker 0 23:37 That was all, in other words, the peace agreement, restorative Catholics to the precise exact legal situation they had when they began in 1926 with all the cat anti-Catholic laws in effect, including the recitation of priests, Harry Potter comments, the Mexican bishops, even the ones sitting on the fence who were opposed to on rebellion, had seen value in the existence the Cristeros saw as they were useful as Archbishop Ruiz Florez wrote to a friend in February, 1929 armed defense has had the glory of being alive and effective protest of keeping the religious question alive and of we hope obliged in the government to look for a solution. Now, the Christian arrows were of no further use and the bishops could not be more callous towards them and the words of Archbishop Pasco Diaz to Janet Delgado and a meeting of the two men. Diaz had been named the Archbishop of a prime Mexico city in private of the nation.
Speaker 0 24:36 As soon as the range movements were were assigned, and these words, by the way, were recorded by the secretary of the Archbishop, not general Delgado. These are the words of the Archbishop to general Dale God quote, I don't know and I'm not interested knowing what condition you are going to be left. The only thing I must tell you is that you must lay down your arms. The banner for which you were fighting has ceased to exist now that the arrangements have been made. Close quote, general haste, stay Ocado. The Christero send the last nit desperate telegram to the Pope in grief, we approach your holiness humbly employing words, guide us, present situation and not forget faithful sons. Close quote. Tell was never answered. General Delgado then addressed his troops, his voice breaking from sorrow, his holiness DePaul by the intermediary of the most excellent Epistolic.
Speaker 0 25:34 Nuncio has decided for reasons which are known to us, but which is Catholics. We accept that public worship will be resumed tomorrow without the lobbying changed. This arrangement has rested from us that which is most noble and most totally on our flag at the moment when the church has declared that you resigned herself to what she's obtained. As for ourself. As men, we have a satisfaction that no one can take from us. The national guard has not disappeared, defeated by its enemies, but rather abandoned by the very ones who were to be the first to receive the fruit of our sacrifices. Navigation, obvi Christ, those who for you are going to humiliation, textile and perhaps to unglorious death with the most fervent love salute you and once more proclaim you as King of our country, there seems to be a note thought among the fighters to ignore defy the order as a document in the archives, the one who ESCO parish testifies they complied with a prompted tude of an angel and the simplicity of a child.
Speaker 0 26:39 Close quote, what was the cost them of their obedience on July 3rd less than two weeks after the agreements were signed, general Pedroza was shot by a government firing squad. He was simply the first of 5,000 Christos hunted down and murdered by the government in the next few years with a handful of exceptions. No officers from general Dondre Lieutenant would survive apart from those who managed to flee into the United States. Christopher check reports to the Christos who are not willing to move out of their States were taken prisoner and executed. The nation of Catholic militants after the 1929 agreement lasted for several years. There are mass executions and Lisko and reports of Christero veterans being hunted down and killed lasted until the 1950s it is not knowing how many thousands of them lost their lives after the war had been declared over and it's clear that the Gar agreements didn't protect the clergy either.
Speaker 0 27:43 It is 1932 and cyclical on the persecution of the church in Mexico. Pope Pius 11th explains his reasoning over the surrender and start with the results. Obviously these are just excerpts. The whole encyclical is definitely worth reading as well as as 20 1926 and cyclical on the same topic. Pius 11 quote in the face of the firm and generous resistance to the pressed. The government now began to give indications in various ways there would not be averse to coming to an agreement were upon Botox by painful experience to put scant trust in such promises. We felt obliged to ask ourselves whether it was for the good of souls to prolong suspension of public worship of even greater weight was a consideration that suspension, according to grave reports which we'd received from various and unexceptionable sources, was productive of serious harm to the faithful. We thought at best, having no other intention by the go to souls to profit by the occasion, which seemed to offer possibility of having the rights of the hierarchy duly recognized.
Speaker 0 28:44 Unfortunately, as all know, our wishes and desires were not followed by the peace and federal settlement for which we had hoped. On the contrary to bishops, priests, and faithful Catholics continued to be panelized and in prison. Now in 1932 and the state of Michoacan, one priest was assigned for every 33,000 the faithful and stay shoppers one for every 60,000 when the state of very Cruze, only one priest was assigned to exercise the sacred ministry for every 100,000 inhabitants. Close quote, the vicar of Christ where they were 4,500 priests serving the people before the Christiana. In 1934 there were only 334 priests licensed by the government to serve 15 million people. The rest have been eliminated by immigration, expulsion, and assassination. By 1935 17 States had no priests at all. Amedeo Guild, the handpicked successor of Kairos. A Freemason was president in 1929 when the war ended at a banquet celebrating the summer solstice, right as the agreements were being agreed upon, Gil acknowledged his astonishment is absolute astonishment at the unconditional surrender of a victorious army. And at the same time, he noticed his intention to continue the fight.
Speaker 2 30:19 Cool.
Speaker 0 30:21 The fight did not begin yesterday. The fight is eternal. The fight began centuries ago.
Speaker 2 30:30 Close quote,
Speaker 0 30:33 fight did not begin yesterday. Fight is eternal. Fight did begin centuries ago. Viva Krista Ray, the version to Guadalupe.
